Newby Help

[megs8888]

Hi guys I am new to this hobby got my TM Hotas WH joystick today installed DCS world and A10c , now before I pickup any bad habits what should I do in relation to Joystick install?

 

1. Should I install TARGET?

2. Is there a profile I should use for A10 with premapped profile that most people use? Or is popular?

3. Are there any videos to learn ow to setup Hotas Joystick?

4. Is the FSSB mod for joystick worth doing to the joystick?

 

What other items should I need to install to get the most of this hobby?

 

I have heard of Helios? Not sure what it does but I will read up on it. I have an Ipad also.

 

Many thanks for any assistance

 

Wayne.

[cichlidfan]

1,2 and 3 can all be answered easily.

 

The Warthog is Plug-n-Play with the A-10. The only thing you would want to change, at first, would be if you are using TrackIR for view control. Otherwise, there is nothing to set up.

 

I can't answer #4 as I have not modded mine.

 

Other items would include TrackIR and rudder pedals, at least initially. After that the sky is the limit, along with your finances. ;)

 

Helios can be useful depending on how deep you want to get into the sim.

[RIFLE_JTAC_TRAINING]

Just to add,

 

there are apps for the A-10C and iPad. You can monitor your MFCDs on the ipad while in flight. So this will give you the ability to observe your targeting pod, TAD, weapons systems and setting, CDU etc as well as other clickable items in the cockpit. Its very helpful and inexpensive seeing you've picked up a TMHOTAS.

 

Enjoy A-10C.

 

Now back to converting my BF3 buddies to DCS WORLD!!!

 

63

[shagrat]

What other items should I need to install to get the most of this hobby?

I would consider a TrackIR or at least FreeTrackNoIR etc.

 

It is immensely immersing and one of the thingies you never thought of, but when playing without utterly miss.

 

It is now that I try to glance right or left in DCS YouTube Vids and wonder why it is not working...:lol:

[Tetra]

What other items should I need to install to get the most of this hobby

 

The brilliant thing is you can take your hobby as seriously or not as you like, there are so many different levels of what you can do to enhance your experience from just adding a few pieces of gear up to making your own full-blown home cockpit. My personal list is below and these things have made flying (especially the A-10C) an absolute joy.

 

1: TM Warthog (you got one). Have nothing but good things to say about the warthog hotas.

 

2: TrackIR or FaceTrackNoIR or FreeTrack + Either TrackClipPro or home-made LED cap/clip. Or if FaceTrackNoIR works well for you with just facial point tracking use that. If you are not going with TrackIR then I strongly suggest picking up a PS3Eye webcam and modifying it by removing the IR filter. Whatever you end up with some kind of head tracking system over mouse or keyboard look makes any flight sim a night and day experience. I personally use a PS3Eye cam + a Natural Point Track Clip Pro and use FaceTrackNoIR with the point tracker as my head tracking system, works flawlessly and cost about $100 cheaper in total than a TrackIR system.

 

3: Thrustmaster Cougar MFD Pack. With or without a screen mounted behind them they really take the experience up a notch. You can either just sit them on your desk and use them "as is", or stick them to a second monitor and export the MFD displays so they show behind them, or purchase a couple of small 7 or 8 inch USB or VGA monitors to mount behind them.

 

4: You can also combine the MFD cougars (if mounted on a second monitor) with Helios and run a virtual 2d representation of the pit on your second monitor + exported MFD screen displays. Or you could just use Helios on it's own on a 2nd monitor allowing you to replicate many of the instruments and controls from the 3D pit.

 

Also as HAWG63 said there are a few great apps that you could use with your Ipad to get similar additional touch-screen control.

[megs8888]

The brilliant thing is you can take your hobby as seriously or not as you like, there are so many different levels of what you can do to enhance your experience from just adding a few pieces of gear up to making your own full-blown home cockpit. My personal list is below and these things have made flying (especially the A-10C) an absolute joy.

 

1: TM Warthog (you got one). Have nothing but good things to say about the warthog hotas.

 

2: TrackIR or FaceTrackNoIR or FreeTrack + Either TrackClipPro or home-made LED cap/clip. Or if FaceTrackNoIR works well for you with just facial point tracking use that. If you are not going with TrackIR then I strongly suggest picking up a PS3Eye webcam and modifying it by removing the IR filter. Whatever you end up with some kind of head tracking system over mouse or keyboard look makes any flight sim a night and day experience. I personally use a PS3Eye cam + a Natural Point Track Clip Pro and use FaceTrackNoIR with the point tracker as my head tracking system, works flawlessly and cost about $100 cheaper in total than a TrackIR system.

 

3: Thrustmaster Cougar MFD Pack. With or without a screen mounted behind them they really take the experience up a notch. You can either just sit them on your desk and use them "as is", or stick them to a second monitor and export the MFD displays so they show behind them, or purchase a couple of small 7 or 8 inch USB or VGA monitors to mount behind them.

 

4: You can also combine the MFD cougars (if mounted on a second monitor) with Helios and run a virtual 2d representation of the pit on your second monitor + exported MFD screen displays. Or you could just use Helios on it's own on a 2nd monitor allowing you to replicate many of the instruments and controls from the 3D pit.

 

Also as HAWG63 said there are a few great apps that you could use with your Ipad to get similar additional touch-screen control.

 

Thanks ok I have track IR already so that's good is there a profile available anywhere specific to A10? Ill use touch screen control I think at the moment the MFD setup might have to wait lol.

 

So as the warthog is plug and play where do I print out the assignments for the controls so that I can study joystick mappings? I think it might be important for me to learn them first, to get muscle memory going.

[megs8888]

1,2 and 3 can all be answered easily.

 

The Warthog is Plug-n-Play with the A-10. The only thing you would want to change, at first, would be if you are using TrackIR for view control. Otherwise, there is nothing to set up.

 

I can't answer #4 as I have not modded mine.

 

Other items would include TrackIR and rudder pedals, at least initially. After that the sky is the limit, along with your finances. ;)

 

Helios can be useful depending on how deep you want to get into the sim.

 

Hi thank you for your reply,I have track IR is there a guide to changing the view control?

 

I have saitek rudder pedals to.

[Tetra]

Hi thank you for your reply,I have track IR is there a guide to changing the view control?

 

I have saitek rudder pedals to.

 

 

Fish's guide for TrackIR is very good >

 

For the default plug & play binding if you have TrackIR all you need to do is change the bindings on the trim hat from view control back to trim. (inside DCS world)

 

as for the default HOTAS bindings there are several documents that show it visually quite well, this one for example > http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/599/

 

Special consideration to be given to the difference between long and short presses ,denoted in that visual document as . and ___

Edited September 2, 2013 by Tetra

[megs8888]

Fish's guide for TrackIR is very good >

 

For the default plug & play binding if you have TrackIR all you need to do is change the bindings on the trim hat from view control back to trim. (inside DCS world)

 

as for the default HOTAS bindings there are several documents that show it visually quite well, this one for example > http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/599/

 

Special consideration to be given to the difference between long and short presses ,denoted in that visual document as . and ___

 

 

Thanks that pdf looks good however the download link is broken it states page not found would you dropbox it to me pls or similar

[Tetra]

Oh, not sure why it's broken, you can still access the image which, although is slightly lower res, is still very legible > http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/upload/iblock/0fc/profile_chart.jpg

 

There is also another one in this thread > http://forum.lockon.ru/showthread.php?t=80843

 

and another here > http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=69610

 

All the other switches on the actual throttle base are labelled so no need for an image of those. Either way once you get stuck into the tutorials in-game you will soon get a feel for what is where etc. Finally just to add the only other thing you will want to do is edit your curves on the slew control, the default ones are way too twitchy and the fact the TM warthog has that horrible mouse slew nub (my only complaint about the hotas) you will probably want to set up some curves and saturation on it to get it less sensitive. This, again, is done in DCS world. Also don't forget that there are two sets of controls for the A-10C, one set for game and one set for simulation, so make sure you are working with the correct group for the one you are flying with.

Edited September 2, 2013 by Tetra

[megs8888]

thanks for your help, is there a teamspeak site you guys are part of that helps new people? cheers Wayne

[cichlidfan]

Aside from the various TS channels used by the MP servers, no.

 

As for the controls layout. Look at pages 86-92 of the DCS A-10C Flight Manual. It won't all make sense right away, but this is what you ultimately need to know.

 

The manual is in <install path>\DCS World\Mods\aircrafts\A-10C\Doc

[Wrecking Crew]

megs - here are a couple of links...

 

TrackIR -

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3171177/DCS_A10C_Warthog_A_TrackIR_Pro#Post3171177

 

Warthog axis curves -

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3347043/Pass_the_Grey_Poupon_please#Post3347043

 

Switch assignments -

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3360395/DCS_A_10C_Warthog_Cougar_Joyst#Post3360395

 

Other's have posted into this link as well - lots of good stuff.

 

WC

[Hamblue]

Megs

Once you change your views to tracker you'll want to make sure the trim hat is set up. You'll be using the trim a lot with the A-10.

 

Also the Joystick Paddle switch works great when set up for centering the track ir.